When I got my MA in English Lit I had to read more than 100 great works. I was 22, and didn't have much of an idea about the great themes or historical context. I was overwhelmed and pretty clueless. But the following books changed my life

Much like Thomas Mann's main character in The Magic Mountain, written in Davos, I was an "ordinary [wo]man," amongst a sea of world leaders and power brokers. This convergence of knowledge and influence in one place made for some heady observations and encounters.